passwords

My grandaughters computer has 'acquired' a log in password and she cannot get into it. I seem to remember that the password is held in a file with a suffix pcw or something similar. can anyone tell me in what directory this is held? I assume that I should be able to get at it in dos if not in safe mode to delete it.

 

If this is a password required before Windows begins to load, it's a BIOS password. To eliminate it, turn the computer off, open the case, find the motherboard battery (looks like a large watch battery) and remove it. Some say you have to leave it out for 24 hours but usually a few minutes will do. It's absence will cause the BIOS to "lose" all it's settings, including the password.

Put the battery back in, making sure the clips are engaged, restart the computer. Set the BIOS back to its defaults and you should be good to go.

If it's a Windows logon password box, just click the Cancel button and it will boot on into Windows. Once in Windows, find and delete all .pwl files...using Find>All Files and Folders, tell it to search for "*.pwl" (without the quotes, with the asterisk and dot), then delete all it finds.

Reboot, enter her user name at the password prompt, leave the password field blank, click OK (not the Cancel button or the X).